Educating, Empowering & Engaging Small Businesses For A Better Birmingham
April 17, 2023, Birmingham, AL – Small businesses make a BIG impact! In recognizing this, The City of Birmingham’s Office of Business Diversity and Opportunity is providing the city’s small business owners with the resources for success throughout National Small Business Week. This series of FREE educational events kicks off Sunday, April 30, and runs through Saturday, May 6. The week-long series is designed to provide Birmingham’s entrepreneurs and small businesses a platform to connect, share knowledge and learn about new business trends and practices from local and national experts. With both in-person and virtual events, participants can choose the format that best suits their needs.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities and take more risks than many of us do in a lifetime. They drive innovation, create jobs and provide services that help to enrich our lives,” said Monique Shorts, Senior Program Manager for the Office of Business Diversity and Opportunity. “That is why it was so important for us at the Office of Business Diversity and Opportunity to host Small Business Week, because when small businesses thrive, our community thrives.”
National Small Business Week Events
● Bizness + Brunch – Networking Event | Sunday, April 30 | 11 AM – 1 PM | Sidewalk Film Center
● Resources You Need To Succeed | Monday, May 1 | 1 PM – 3 PM | The Boutwell Auditorium
● Small Business, Big Opportunity | Tuesday, May 2 | 9 AM – 11:45 AM | Virtual
● Taco Tuesday Networking | Tuesday, May 2 | 1 – 3 PM | Adios
● Being Bankable Panel Discussion | Wednesday, May 3 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM | Sloss Furnaces
● Small Business, Big Impact | Thursday, May 4 | 9 AM – 11:45 AM | Virtual
● B.Home Living Mixer | Thursday, May 4 | 7 – 10 PM | Cahaba Brewing
● Hanging with the Big League | Friday, May 5 | 9 AM – 4 PM | Crossplex
● The Big Biz Pitch Competition | Saturday, May 6 | 12 – 2 PM | Southern Museum of Flight
Be sure to join us at Hanging with the Big League on Friday, May 5th to hear from the founder of Walker’s Legacy, the most prestigious digital platform to empower women through entrepreneurship and former head of the Office of Women’s Business Ownership at the U.S. Small Business Administration, Natalie Madeira Cofield. In this role, she helped design a $100 million Community Navigator Pilot Program that gave underrepresented business owners access to government resources. She also expanded the SBA’s Women’s Business Center network, which provides free to low-cost counseling and training to small business owners, to every state in the country. Now a senior adviser and entrepreneur-in-residence at Mastercard, she is continuing her mission to support entrepreneurs.
One of the standout features of Birmingham’s Small Business Week is the commitment to supporting local talent. From creating jobs to providing unique products and services, small businesses play a critical role in the success of our community and economy. Entrepreneurs hoping to grow their businesses and connect with like-minded colleagues are encouraged to register now at www.bhmupsmallbizweek.com.
The Office of Business Diversity and Opportunity
In 2018, the Woodfin Administration created the Office of Business Diversity and Opportunity to lead the City’s efforts to become a destination for women and minority entrepreneurs to launch their business. OBDO engages in place-based development to grow small businesses and spur neighborhood investment to ensure inclusive growth in Birmingham and champion small business involvement in the City’s economic development landscape. By sponsoring Small Business Week, OBDO hopes to support entrepreneurs and build a more resilient, diverse economy across Birmingham. To learn more or be notified of small business resources, visit www.birminghamal.gov/bhmup.
